Machine for the manufacture of shells for metal cups and similar articles



April 10, 1934. F. SEITZ 1,954,332

MACHINE FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF SHELLS FOR METAL CUPS AND SIMILAR ARTICLES Filed Feb. 2, 1932 Patented Apr. 10, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MACHINE FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF SHELLS FOR METAL ours AND SIMILAR ARTICLES Friedrich Seitz, Gieselwerder on the Worm, Germany 4 Claims.

It has already been endeavored to substitute mechanical work for the manual work employed hitherto, as regards the manufacture of articles of the above-mentioned kinds, but the machines having up to now been designed for the purpose inview are complicated and require. constant attendance by workmen, and besides, the output of those machines is not proportionate to their pricecost and to the working expenses. The present improved machine is free from the drawbacks of the known machines for the manufacture of articles of the kind stated, and its gist resides in the provision of a plate that is oscillable on the main shaft of the machine and bears on one of its ends a continually rotating winding mandrel shaft with a winding mandrel which is moved alternately from its upper position of rest into its lower operative position, said plate actuating at the same time an oscillable cutting knife hinged to it, as well as a supply member for the pieces of sheet-metal from which the shells are to be made, and a discharge member for the finished shells. The said oscillable plate is actuated from the main shaft of the machine by means of aworm-gear by the intermediary of a bent arm, as is all more fully described hereinafter.

The invention is illustrated diagrammatically and by way of example on the accompanying drawing on which Figure 1 is a perspectvie view of the complete machine. Figure 2 is a perspective view of the parts shown in the upper portion of the righthand half of Fig. 1, drawn to'an enlarged scale. Figure 3 is a vertical longitudinal section through most of the parts shown in Fig. 2."

On the drawinggl denotes the base of the machine and 2 is the main shaft supported thereon and being driven either directly by, means of a motor or by the intermediary of a pulley 3 and a counter-shaft. 4 is the oscillable plate which is suspended in its normal horizontal position from the shaft 2 and bears at its other end bearings 6 and 7 supporting the winding mandrel shaft 5. On the opposite end where the plate is suspended, there a bent arm 8 extends downwardly from the plate 4 which is moved downwardly and upwardly by means of a pin 10 extending forth from a disk 11 rotated by means of a worm-gearing 9. Owing to this arrangement, the mandrel shaft is periodically lifted and lowered, the downward movement being effected by the dead weight of the members 4, 5, 6 and I. From the shaft 5 extends forth horizontally, in the axial direction. of this shaft, the winding mandrel 12, below which are located the two rollers 13 and 14, of which the latter is 12 by means of a tripping member 21 and falls continually rotated from the main shaft 2 by a belt 33. i

The free end 8' of the arm 8 is bent off at right angles, and from this end extends forth a wire rope 15, the other end of which is connected with a horizontal bar 16 connected in turn with the feeding member 17 located behind the rollers 13 and 14. When the arm 8 is moved downwardly, the bar. 16 and the member 1'7 are drawn by the rope 15 in the direction from the righthandhalf 5, of the machine (Figs. 1-3) to the lefthand half thereof, whereby the feeding member 17 is caused to shift apiece of the sheet-metal band out off from a coiled sheet-metal band over the rollers 13 and 14. A semi-circular member 20 secured to the middle of a flat spring 19 provides for said piece of sheet-metal band being shoved over the rolls alwaysin proper position. The feeding member 17 is subjected to the pull of a tensional spring 28 which pulls said member l'l'back into its position of rest when the arm 8 is moved upwardly into its normalposition by the dead weight of the plate 4 with the members it carries. When this plate is in that position in which theshaft 5 is in its lowermost position, also the mandrel 12 is in its lowermost position, just over the rollers 13 and 14.

The shell 22 (Fig. 2) produced by the rollers 13 and 14 is removed from the winding mandrel then down into a,receptacle 23 provided for this purpose.

The pieces 18 of the sheet-metal are cut off by means of a cutting blade 24 which is hinged at the point 25 to a suitably located part of the machine and is connected at its other end with the oscillable plate 4 so that it is oscillated together with the same. The sheet-metal strip 2'? is fed forwardly by means of a feed roller 26 rotated from the main shaft by suitable intermediate means. In the constructional form. shown in the drawing, the feed roller 26 is affixed to a. shaft 26 provided at one end with a small belt pulley 26 which is rotated by a belt 26. The cut-off piece 18 of the sheet-metal band falls into the feeding member 17 just in front of a nose-like projection 29 of the same. The roll 26 consists of rubber and is carried by a shaft 30, one end of whichis subjected to the action of a spring 31, the purpose of which is to prevent the thin sheetmetal piece being shifted forward further than to the abutment ledge 32.

When the bent arm 8 is mo ved downwardly by the pin 10 the plate 4 is swung upwardly and the mandrel 12 is lifted off from the rolls 13, 14, 110

whereafter the feeding member 1'7 shoves the cutoff piece of the sheet-metal band upon said rollers. Stripping off the shell from the mandrel is effected by the longer arm of a bell-crank lever 1 (Fig. 1) attached to an arm 21 projecting forth from the plate 4.

The bell-crank lever consists of a longer arm 21 and of a shorter arm 21. The end of the longer arm is wound as shown in Fig. 2, and to this end is secured a hook-shaped member 21, the end of which extends downwardly over the mandrel 12. The same arm is subjected to the pull of a helical tensional spring 21 which continually tends to hold the stripping lever in the position shown in Fig. 1. The shorter arm 21 of the stripping lever is connected by a thin wire rope 21 with the bar 16. When this bar is drawn rearwardly by the rope 15. the pull is transmitted by the rope 21 to the stripping lever, the arm 21 of which is now so moved as to strip the shell off from the mandrel 12. It is a matter of course that the several movements are properly timed.

When the arm 8 is rising, the mandrel 12 is moved down towards, and is pressed upon, the rollers 13 and 14. During the downward movement of the plate 4 the stripping member 21 is withdrawn from the mandrel and becomes thereafter again operative, i. e. when the next piece of sheet-metal has been bent to a shell.

The winding mandrel shaft 5 can be retained in its upper position by means of a pedal (not shown) and suitable motion transmitting means so that the work can be interrupted for a while without stopping the entire machine.

The mandrel 5 may be elongated to double its normal length (which is that requisite for the manufacture of one shell), and a second set of the working members (feeding means, bending means, stripping means) may be provided whereby the machine would be transformed into a twin machine capable of producing double the number of shells. It is also possible to develop the machine still further so as to turn it into a multiple machine. The machine shown by way of example, as well as a twin machine or a mul tiple machine, requires no other attendance than supplying another coiled sheet-metal strip when such a one has been used up. In all other respects the machine is completely automatic.

The sheet-metal used for the manufacture of the cups is generally zinc.

I claim:

1. A machine for the manufacture of shells of metal cups and the like from pieces of sheetmetal cut off from a coiled sheet-metal strip, comprising, in combination, a frame, awinding mandrel for said pieces, and-means for feeding vthe pieces to said mandrel, a main driving shaft extending across the machine; an oscillable plate having afree end and being attached to said shaft; a continually rotating winding mandrel shaft located upon the free end of said plate; an oscillable knife for cutting off the pieces of sheetmetal band and being hinged to the frame of the machine; a stripping member for the sheetmetal band pieces bent into shells and being actuated by the intermediary of the said plate; a bent arm extending forth from the plate at that end where it is attached to the said main shaft,

and a worm-gearing for actuating said arm so as thereby to oscillate the said plate, substantially as set forth.

2. A machine for the manufacture of shells for metal cups and the like from pieces of sheet-metal cut oil from a coiled sheet-metal strip, comprising, in combination a frame, a winding mandrel for said pieces, a main driving shaft extending across the machine; an oscillable plate having a free end and being attached to said shaft; a continually rotating mandrel shaft located upon the free end of said plate; an oscillable knife for cutting off the pieces of sheet-metal and being hinged to the frame of the machine; a stripping member for the sheet-metal band pieces bent into shells and being actuated by the intermediary of the said plate; a feeding roller constituting the feeding means for the sheet-metal pieces, and a driving shaft therefor supported elastically and being continually rotated by the main shaft of the machine; a bent arm extending forth from the plate at that end where it is attached to the main shaft; and a worm gearing for actuating said arm so as thereby to oscillate the said plate, substantially as set forth.

3. A machine for the manufacture of shells for metal cups and the like from pieces of sheet metal cut off from a coiled sheet metal strip, comprising, in combination a frame, a winding mandrel for said pieces, a main driving shaft extending across the machine; an oscillable plate having a free end and being attached to said shaft; a continually rotating mandrel shaft located upon the free end of said plate, an oscillable knife for cutting off the pieces of sheet metal band and being hinged to the said frame; a stripping member for the sheet-metal band pieces actuated by the intermediary of the said plate, a bent arm extending forth from the plate at that end where it is attached to the main shaft; a feeding bar, and a rope connection between said bar and the free end of said arm; and a worm gearing for actuating said arm so as thereby to oscillate the said'plate, substantially as set forth.

4. A machine for the manufacture of shells for metal cups and the like from pieces of sheetmetal cut off from a coiled sheet-metal strip, comprising, in combination, a winding mandrel for said pieces, a main driving shaft extending across the machine; an oscillable plate having a free end and being attached to said shaft; a continually rotating mandrel shaft located upon the free end of said plate; an oscillable knife for cutting off the pieces of the sheet-metal band and being hinged to the frame of the machine; a bent arm extending forth from the plate at that end where it is attached to the main shaft; a feeding roller; a feeding bar and a rope between said bar and the free end of said arm; a bell crank lever having arms of different length and being so arranged that its longer arm can serve as stripping member for the bent shells, the shorter arm being connected with said feeding bar; and a worm gearing for actuating said arm so as thereby to oscillate the said plate, substantially as set forth.

FRIEDRICH SEITZ.

.iLO 

